Three Ryan Hardie replacements for Plymouth amid Wrexham transfer include perfect loan move and League One ace

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Wrexham have finally made their first summer signing, but Ryan Hardie’s move to Wales will impact Plymouth Argyle significantly and they’ll need to find a strong replacement.

We’ve been waiting a while to see what Wrexham’s first move of the summer would be as they prepare for life in the Championship, and the capture of Hardie is seen as a shrewd one.

Signing a striker with a proven goalscoring record in the second tier is no mean feat, but to do it for a fee of around £700,000 is even more impressive.

That departure does leave Plymouth and their new manager, Tom Cleverley, with a predicament to solve ahead of the new League One campaign, though.

So, we’ve put together a shortlist of strikers Argyle could bring in this summer to fill that gap.

• READ MORE: Phil Parkinson will absolutely love the ‘immense’ attribute Ryan Hardie will bring to Wrexham

Three strikers who could replace Ryan Hardie at Plymouth Argyle

Nathan Lowe – Stoke City

He was one of the best loan signings in the EFL for the first half of last season, and now Nathan Lowe is ready to show what he can do at a higher level in 2025/26.

Lowe spent time with League Two outfit Walsall last term, bagging 15 goals to propel the Saddlers towards promotion. However, Stoke City recalled him in January, and then barely used him in the Championship.

The 19-year-old is more than capable of scoring goals in the third tier, and plenty of League One clubs will be keen on Lowe for sure. As one of the favourites to go up, though, Plymouth would surely have an advantage if they entered the race for the youngster.

Will Evans – Mansfield Town

If Plymouth want a proven goalscorer at League One level, they could do far worse than taking a look at Mansfield Town’s Will Evans.

Having signed from Newport County last summer, Evans bagged 13 goals for Mansfield and was one of the main reasons the Stags were able to stay in the division. Indeed, the fact he scored that many for a team struggling near the bottom of the table speaks volumes for Evans’ quality.

Mansfield paid around £200,000 for Evans a year ago, so Plymouth would probably be looking at spending around £500,000 on the 27-year-old. Still, it would leave them in profit from the Hardie transaction.

• READ MORE: Winners and losers from a Ryan Hardie transfer to Wrexham as Plymouth Argyle poised to lose 12-goal star

Paul Mullin – Wrexham

Finally, how about a bit of a dramatic player swap between Plymouth and Wrexham? We know Paul Mullin’s future is in doubt after he fell down the pecking order last season, and Hardie’s arrival at the Racecourse will do him no favours.

While Wigan have looked at a free transfer for Mullin, and we even suggested MK Dons could make a move for the striker, the best move for the man himself would surely be to head down South and join Plymouth.

He’s a similar profile to Hardie in that he’s quick, strong, and intelligent in attacking areas, and Plymouth know they would be able to bag a bargain. For Mullin, too, it’s the chance to get regular football at a top club and prove himself in League One. This would be a win-win for everyone.